HM: Livestock & Love
by Vanille Safetypin
Summary: Your basic run of the mill HM story... Based on Harvest Moon: Back To Nature. Enjoy!


**Hey, I like Harvest Moon! This is my pathetic attempt at homage of sorts... Our hero is called Yusaku as you might well guess. I swear this picks up after chapter one... Oh, reviews please. Even critical ones. But try to avoid mindless flaming please. Makes my heart cry.**

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"Well, what do you think? This was your grandpa's farm. It's been neglected for quite some time, so it's a bit of a mess…" Mayor Thomas glanced at the boy standing beside him. Barely eighteen, young Yusaku was being handed a huge responsibility - the ownership of Sunshine Farm. The two of them walked through the overgrown fields and Mayor Thomas began to feel that he had been too kind with his description. The weeds in the fields were almost knee-high and the whole place was scattered with rocks and bits of wood.

Suddenly Mayor Thomas began to chuckle nostalgically. "Do you remember when you were young and spent summer vacation on this farm?"

Yusaku nodded, at once lost in memories...

His mother's apologetic phonecall - more than ten years after he could still remember what she said: "I'm sorry but I've had to cancel the family trip this summer. I couldn't rearrange my work schedule... I'm sorry, I know I promised you. Please understand... I'm very busy. I'll make up for this... I'm very sorry, dear. But I asked Grandpa if you could stay at his farm. Take it easy and enjoy nature for a change."

Yusaku's mother was always very busy at work, and when he came home from school there was often nobody there to see him. He'd been really looking forward to the trip that summer and while he understood his mother couldn't help it, he dreaded spending four boring weeks at his grandfather's farm.

Yusaku was dropped off at the farm by his mother, who could only spare him a quick farewell before speeding back to the city. Hearing the sound of the car, his grandpa came out of the farmhouse, a large brown dog at his heels. He gave Yusaku a welcoming smile.

"Hello there sonny," he said. "There's not much excitement out in these parts, but you're welcome to stay as long as you like. I'm too busy with my chores on the farm to play with you much, but there are some children in the village and you can play with them."

Despite his inital misgivings, Yusaku had a really great time that summer. A memory he held particularly close was that of a girl...

There was a large hill behind the farm and on one of its slopes Yusaku found a place of perfect seclusion - a grassy knoll with a cherry blossom tree on it. One sunny afternoon he lay down under the tree and was just drifting off to sleep when he heard someone humming. He hastily opened his eyes to see a girl of about his own age standing over him inquiringly.

"Do you always play alone?" she asked. "I like it here too, so I often come here to play alone..."

For some reason Yusaku's memories of her became a little hazy after that. He remembered how, on his last night, they sat on top of the hill in the twilight, humming that tune the girl liked together. And he remembered his final morning; he'd said goodbye to his grandpa and was waiting for his mother to come pick him up when the girl ran onto the farm, looking flushed.

"Oh! Are you leaving?"

Yusaku nodded.

"Oh... that makes me feel lonely. You'll come back someday, right?"

_Remember... you promised..._

"It's been a long time since then," Mayor Thomas said, bringing Yusaku back to the present. "You've grown up well in those years. Well I've talked it over with the villagers and we've decided we'd like to see what you can do in three years. If you can get the farm running like it once was, the villagers will accept you as the rightful owner. But if the farm is neglected or you can't get along with the villagers, then you'll have to leave. That is the decision we have made as a village."

"I'll do my best," Yusaku assured him and the mayor smiled.

"I know. Alright, I'll see you in the morning! Get some rest!"

Lying in bed in the farmhouse that night, Yusaku wondered why he couldn't remember the girl's name... or even her face...

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**Can you say 'obvious cliffhanger chapter end'? Have a go. See you in chapter two! x Van**


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